PRAIRIE GROVE -- An unexploded Civil War artillery shell uncovered near Prairie Grove Christian Church has been destroyed by the Bentonville Bomb Squad, according to Jon Simpson, chief of Bentonville Police Department.
Simpson on Thursday said he understands some people in Prairie Grove may be upset about the decision to destroy the shell but noted, "It truly comes down to a safety issue. It's the only reasonable and safe conclusion on how to handle it."
The choice was whether to keep it intact as an artifact or to consider the safety of others, Simpson said.
"Nothing outweighs the safety of others," Simpson said.
In exploding the shell in Bentonville, Simpson said bomb squad officers found evidence that the shell was live. He said he thinks that "all in all, it was a good call."
Larry Oelrich, director of administrative services/public works with the city of Prairie Grove, said a subcontractor working on gas lines found the shell along Wayne Villines Road, next to the Christian Church. The shell was placed in a storage building behind the Police Department to take to Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park.
Oelrich posted a photo of the shell on the city's Facebook page Tuesday morning. He received a phone call from the Bomb Squad Wednesday morning.
"The Bomb Squad apparently saw our post on the City's Facebook page and took it upon themselves to come get it," Oelrich said by email. "They picked it up here, but then went by and talked to the park (officials)."
Alan Thompson, Hindman Museum registrar with the state park, said he received a phone call at 8:01 a.m. Wednesday from the Bomb Squad about the ordnance.
Thompson said he was giving a program to 200 school children in the park "and the next thing I know I have a Bomb Squad person and a Prairie Grove police officer (standing by) in my face. They (the Bomb Squad) were pretty much telling me what they were going to do with it."
Park officials were not given the opportunity to talk to someone about disarming the shell, Thompson said.
"It was unnecessary," Thompson said Thursday afternoon. "It could have been disarmed. That is a piece of Prairie Grove's history that is now in pieces."
The shell was a 16-pound smooth bore used in a James Rifle cannon, said Jessee Cox, state park superintendent. The Union army had four James Rifle cannons in the Battle of Prairie Grove and the Confederate army had two.
Cox said the location of the James shell fits with the park's research on the Battle of Prairie Grove. For some reason, this shell dropped or was set on the ground and not used. It was found in perfect condition, other than rusty, about 12 inches to 18 inches under ground.
"We have one like this in our museum but to find one at this late date, 154 years later, would be very interesting and very educational," Cox said.
Simpson said the Bomb Squad researched what to do with the shell before picking it up. From talking to military personnel in Little Rock, he said the Squad was told the shell was property of the U.S. military and should be destroyed, Simpson said.
"Obviously, it's an historical item. But even though it's a Civil War device, it still is a property of the U.S. military," Simpson said. With an item that is 150 years old, Bomb Squad officers and others cannot know the condition of the weapon or if it would explode and hurt someone, Simpson said.
Simpson said the Bomb Squad did not believe it should wait any longer before destroying the shell. It was transported in the squad's containment unit. Simpson said it could not be left there in a holding period because the vehicle might be needed for other emergencies.
Simpson's advice to the state park is to have a company a "phone call away" to disarm any artillery shells found in the future.
Cox already is working toward that goal. He said the park's next project will be to research what can be done if another shell is found and to see if it can be safely disarmed without destroying it.
He questions why the Bomb Squad was given the advice to immediately destroy the shell. Otherwise, Cox noted, how are Civil War parks across the country able to have shells on display for the public to see.
"It was exciting around here for a couple of days and then a disappointment," Cox said.
General News on 05/20/2015